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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · board · band · rush · can · lean · spell · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spell — letters
  6. swing — to play on
  7. board — a committee
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. swing — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lean — thin
  14. capital — money
  15. spell — magic
  16. board — to get on
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. band — a music group
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — in golf
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com